Breastmilk is the healthiest option for feeding your newborn. If you are able to breastfeed your baby or pump expressed milk to feed them in a bottle, you should do so. If you are unable to breastfeed, pump your breastmilk, or purchase donated breastmilk, infant formula is the only safe alternative for feeding your baby. Do not feed an infant under 6 months old cow’s milk, other animal milk, or milk alternatives such as soy milk. Breastmilk and infant formulas are the only safe milks for babies under 6 months. Be sure that you have clean, safe drinking water to use for your formula.
Do not warm your bottle directly on the stove, use a microwave, or let the milk get higher than 100 °F (38 °C). Doing so increases the risk of burning your baby’s mouth. It is safe to feed your baby cold or room temperature breastmilk. Many parents warm breastmilk after it’s been refrigerated or frozen to make it closer to the temperature of milk during breastfeeding, and because their babies prefer it, but it is not necessary to warm it. There are commercial bottle warmers available for sale that you can use if you prefer. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using it if you have one.
If you have to squeeze the nipple or shake the bottle to get drops to come out, the hole may be blocked. Check the nipple hole to be sure it is clean and unobstructed. If the milk or formula seems to pour out of the nipple, the hole may be damaged. Replace the nipple with a new, sterilized nipple before feeding your infant. It’s much better to give your baby breastmilk or formula that’s cooler than to burn their tongues with breastmilk or formula that’s too hot. [7] X Expert Source Rebecca Nguyen, MAInternational Board Certified Lactation Consultant Expert Interview. 10 June 2019.
Check the manufacturer’s label about the safety of sterilizing plastic bottles. Some plastics contain chemicals that should not be exposed to high heat. Many parents choose glass bottles for this reason. [9] X Expert Source Mor Levy Volner, IBCLC, RDNInternational Board Certified Lactation Consultant Expert Interview. 5 May 2020. You should sterilize anything going into your newborn’s mouth once per day until their immune system becomes stronger after a few months. You can clean the bottles with regular dish soap and water between sterilizations. Talk with your baby’s pediatrician about when you can decrease how often you sterilize bottles.
Babies sometimes fuss or cry for reasons other than hunger. If your baby is fussing or crying just an hour after a good feeding, they may need a diaper change, be tired, bored, overstimulated, or too hot or too cold. You can check these other things before trying to feed them again.
Never feed your baby when they’re lying flat on their back. This can cause them to choke or cause them to get ear infections. You can also hold your baby on your lap and let their head rest against your chest when you feed them. Just be sure to support their head with your hands and reposition them if they start to slide down off your chest. This position works well for babies that have reflux because they are more upright.
If your baby turns their head away, they may not be hungry at this time, or they may be too uncomfortable to eat right now. Check for other reasons that they are fussing or crying, such as their diaper, before trying to feed them again.
Allowing your baby to draw the nipple back into their mouth throughout the feeding is called “pacing” the feeding, and it simulates the starting and stopping of milk flow during breastfeeding. Your baby will eagerly draw the nipple back into their mouth as you move it away if they are still hungry. If they become upset at having the nipple moved out of their mouth, you can tilt the bottle downward momentarily to slow or stop the flow of liquid. Tilt the bottle back up as your baby starts sucking again so they suck less air.
At night time, to encourage your baby to go back to sleep, you may want to decrease how much you talk to them during feeding. You can cuddle and look at them, but try to keep other interactions to a minimum. It is also helpful to keep the lights off or dim during night feedings.
Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t want to finish a bottle, or if they want more after they finish a bottle. Sometimes they’ll want to eat less, and sometimes they’ll have a growth spurt and need more. [17] X Expert Source Mor Levy Volner, IBCLC, RDNInternational Board Certified Lactation Consultant Expert Interview. 5 May 2020. The suggested feeding amount is a general guideline, and if they are drinking between 12–32 fl oz (350–950 mL) of milk within 24 hours, they are eating enough. The amount your baby eats will increase at 2 months old to approximately 5–6 fl oz (150–180 mL) of formula 5-6 times per day, or 25–36 fl oz (740–1,060 mL) in 24 hours. At 3-5 months old, the amount increases again to 6–7 fl oz (180–210 mL) 5-6 times per day. Again, babies drinking expressed breastmilk may need to eat more frequently.
After 1 month, as long as your baby is gaining weight well, you do not need to wake them up to feed them. If your baby’s doctor is concerned about your baby’s lack of weight gain, follow their recommendations for feedings.
Don’t store a leftover bottle for future use longer than 1 hour. It can become contaminated quickly after it’s been sucked on. Throw the milk away and wash the bottle before you use it again.
Try to burp your baby at least after every 2–3 fl oz (59–89 mL) of milk or formula they drink, or more frequently if they seem squirmy, fussy, or otherwise uncomfortable.
